Category Archives: astronomy

June 1, 2018 · 3:08 pm

The Bigger Picture

 

This video “Cosmic Eye” has been around for a few years, I really like it. The combination of one person in perspective with the universe is stunning, and then to zoom in to the person and then the internal body is equally stunning. It tells a story about the vast expanding universe, while reminding us of the intricacies of the make up of the universe. Macro to micro.

Looking at it reminds me that I am, in one sense, one with the universe, while in another sense I am encouraged that I am not insignificant. If you’ve ever had one of those days where you’ve felt you’re not worth much, or you think what’s the point of life, or if you’ve compared yourself as puny, tiny, in comparison with the complex universe and consider yourself insignicant, then this video, simple as it is, is a reminder that you are not insignificant at all. You are part of the complex relationships that constitute life, and are a microcosm of the universe. This video reminds me that I’m a part of the web of life and therefore I have something to contribute.

The wonder of the journey of life is to discover what it is that we can contribute. I like this quote from Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Thurman reminds us that it’s not about getting it right or making a straight path in life, it’s about discovering the inner passions and seeking to find expression in the every day. It’s about you being you, just that, and finding your part in the universe.

None of us are insignificant, all of us have something inside to bring to life.

galaxies beyond
black holes abound there
my love is enough

©Paul Cannon

Paul,

pvcann.com

 

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May 14, 2018 · 2:33 pm

There’s Nothing Slight About The Moon

via Daily Prompt: Slight

 

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The moon slightly above Uluru, late afternoon.

“The full moon  – the mandala of the sky” (Tom Robbins)

“The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.” (Ming Dao Deng)

The recent blue moon drew crowds outdoors to have a look, as did the blood moon before that. Eclipses are a particular draw card. I think many people look up when they go out at night, they like to see the stars, but I think everyone likes to catch a glimpse of the moon. The moon draws us just like it draws the tides. There is nothing slight about the moon.

We desired the moon, we had to conquer it, and so we went there. We’ve serenaded the moon in song, and we’ve painted it in poems, we’ve seen it’s dark side (but not our own).

But, following Ming Dao Deng, I love the mindful moon. It is a beacon in the night, the sun has not abandoned it, it is not alone, it works with the sun and the stars to light the night, just enough for us not to feel alone either. Deng’s description of this faithful sentinel is of course a metaphor for life. The moon contributes to life, it doesn’t take, it isn’t greedy, it isn’t egotistical. Instead, the moon is gentle, proof that just being is sufficient for us to shine. By its faithfulness to being its true self, the moon retains its power, it is never diminished in any way, yet it is always giving.

If only we were to take that example, and be, just like the moon, gentle, faithful, calm, cooperative, and reflective. And in our being, draw others. Imagine that! To be light for others in their darkest nights, to shine hope in to the world, to remind the world that our light reflects something deeper, that our life is gentle, giving, inviting. In our true self we are ever undiminished, shining (“Like the moon, and the stars, and the sun” John Lennon) as gift to the world.

Paul,

pvcann.com

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April 13, 2018 · 2:57 pm

Glimmer

via Daily Prompt: Glimmer

The-Sky-at-Night.jpg

(Image: hdwalpapers2013.com)

I love the night sky, the glimmer of light, those stars, planets, refracting the sun’s light for vast distances we call light years. As a child I wanted to go out there and see how it all fitted together, and to see if there was life out there in some form. Space always captivates me, it is, as Captain Kirk said: “Space, the new frontier.” And with an ever expanding universe, there will be an ever growing new frontier, and one we cannot consume.

There is always a divide over space exploration, those who criticize it, for a variety of reasons, and those who support it. Constructive criticism is worth hearing, but that which is borne out of ignorance or fear is not. Fear closes us down, shuts off our creativity, our capacity to dream and think big. It’s easier to be negative than positive, but it is positive energy that will help us, negativity will be our death.

On a tangent here check out, and thanks to Skirmishes With Reality, Jaron Lanier on How We Need To Remake The Internet, where he talks about how negativity is destructive: www.ted.com/talks/jaron_lanier_how_we_need_to_remake_the_internet

Martin Luther king Jnr. said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” No wonder that the great spiritual guides of the past all made that connection in a variety of ways, because as you say that quote it it seems logical.

As with light, so with love, love is a glimmer of hope, and a more down to earth hope. Like light, like the universe, love is a positive and ever expanding energy. When we become love in all its forms for others, we become glimmers of hope. Together we can dispel the darkness that haunts our world, our communities, our homes, and our selves. We can be that energy where we are. Love is a new frontier, lets explore that.

Paul,

pvcann.com

 

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March 9, 2018 · 3:19 pm

Wonder

via Daily Prompt: Wonder

Stevie Wonder, Wonder Woman (especially Lynda Carter), the Seven Natural Wonders, are all engaging in their own right. But the video feeds my real sense of awe – the wonder of the universe. In the 1920s Edwin Hubble was able to prove a long held theory that the universe was expanding and wasn’t static. More recently, scientists have discovered that the universe is expanding at a faster rate than originally thought.

The video attempts to show in a graphic sense the scale and form of the universe, a true wonder to captivate the mind. It certainly brings a sense of scale to our galaxy, and to our planet. But it doesn’t diminish me or any of us, rather, it captures the sense of how wonderful it is we are even here, and that we are part of something that is truly amazing. That thought drives me to contribute, to learn, to be in community, to live into life, to be creative, to live compassion. There is more to life than just self, and there is more to life than just drudge, there is a universe, and that tells me we are part of something big, something unseen and unknown, something beyond our limitations. It tells me there is something more, and in relation, I am no mere speck, I am not irrelevant, but rather, I am part of the integrity of that whole, part of that wonder.

Paul,

pvcann.com

 

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